Jar or cap wrench



April 20, 1943. J. L. DONOVAN JAR OR CAP WRENCH Filed Aug. 26, 1940 $J.VENTOR.

ATTbRNEY.

Patented Apr. 20, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,317,037 JAR R CAP WRENCH Joseph L. Donovan, Duluth, Minn.

Application August 26, 1940, Serial N0. 354,208

3 Claims.

This invention relates to wrenches and has particular reference to such adapted for use in the holding of bottles, jars and the like during the application or removal of tops to or from the same.

My present invention is deemed a material improvement in the invention as described and claimed in my former Patents No. 2,002,767, dated May 28, 1935, and No. 2,132,207, dated October 4, 1938.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a wrench of this character which may be manipulated entirely by the one hand holding the same, the wrenches described in my former patents requiring both hands for the adjustment of same to various sizes of jars.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description thereof.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this application, and wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved wrench.

Figure 2 is an elevation at right angles to Figure 1.

The numeral i represents a tubular handle which is flattened upon its opposite sides resulting in a substantially rectangular shape in cross section, but with the corners rounded. In one of these sides, 2, which will be referred to for convenience as the front of the handle there is formed centrally thereof a longitudinal slot 3, which extends from the free end of the handle to slightly beyond the longitudinal center thereof. At spaced intervals longitudinally of the slot 3 in the front of the handle are transverse slots 4, each of which intersects the longitudinal slot 3.

In the opposite side, or rear of the handle, adjacent the top thereof is formed a transverse slot 5, and spaced slightly therebetween in the same side is formed a rectangularly shaped open- 4 ing indicated at 6.

The gripping member of the device is indicated at l and comprises a fiat section of spring material having an eye 8 at one end. The other end of the member 1 is passed through the slot 5 near the upper end of the back of the handle and out through the upper open end thereof, when the eye 8 will prevent the same from passing entirely therethrough. The member I is then formed into a loop and threaded back down through the rectangular opening 6 and within the handle to the thumb-catch 9 fixed to the other end of the member 1. At the point where the end of the member I is secured to the catch 9, the catch is about the same width as the member 1, but toward the free end of the catch, it is reduced in size as at I I] and of a width to pass freely through the longitudinal slot 3. The spring in the member biases the catch 9 outwardly through the slots 4, and when in the position shown in Figure 1 the wider portion of the catch prevents it from sliding up or down within the handle. When however it is desired to adjust the diameter of the loop either larger or smaller, by pressing the free end of the catch inwardly until only the narrower portion ill thereof projects outwardly from the handle, by simple thumb manipulation the catch may be slid up or down in the slot 3 to the desired transverse slot 4, when release of inward pressure on the catch will allow it to project outwardly again until the wider portion of the catch projects through the transverse slot, and which will hold the member 1 securely at the proper size desired.

Thus the entire manipulation of the device from one size of loop in the member I to another may be had by a simple thumb manipulation of the hand that is holding the device, and which is not possible with either of my former modifications.

The major portion of that section of the member 1 comprising the loop is covered with a rubber or similar composition as indicated at H to increase the gripping properties thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A jar wrench or holder of the class described comprising a hollow handle having a plurality ofspaced transverse slots in one side thereof, a longitudinal slot in said side extending from the free end of the handle to the uppermost slot and intersecting all intermediate slots, a transverse slot in the other side of said handle adjacent the upper end thereof, a rectangular opening in said other side spaced from said transverse slot, 9. flexible spring metal band having means at one end for engaging said transverse slot and adapted to pass through said rectangular opening, and a T-shaped fiat metal catch one end of which is bent and attached to the free end of said band, and the main body portion of which is adapted to engage any transverse slot, a reduced free endissuing from said main body portion and adapted to slide in said longitudinal slot upon depression of said main body portion within said hollow handle 2. A jar wrench or holder of the class described comprising a hollow handle having a plurality of spaced transverse slots in one side thereof, a longitudinal slot in said side extending,from the free end of the handle to the uppermost slot and intersecting all intermediate slots, an opening in the other side of said handle intermediate of its ends, a flexible spring metal band attached at one end to the upper end of said handle and bent into the form of a loop and passed through said opening into said hollow handle, and a catch at the free end of said band adapted to engage any transverse slot and slide in said longitudinal slot, said catch comprising a flat angular piece of metal equal in width to that of the band and secured thereto, its free end being reduced to approximately the width of the 1011- gitudinal slot for traversing the same.

3. A jar wrench or holder of the class described comprising a hollow handle having a plurality of spaced transverse slots in one side thereof,

a longitudinal slot in said side extending from the free end of the handle to the uppermost slot and intersecting all intermediate slots, an opening in the other side of said handle intermediate of its ends, a flexible spring metal gripping band; means for attaching one end of said band to the upper end of said handle, said band being bent 

